


the universe changes its emptiness.

by sam_roulette



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Character Study, Gen, implied forced baby acquisition, real life Leitner
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:34:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27293530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sam_roulette/pseuds/sam_roulette
Summary: flying is a transitionary period that never ends. so is falling ;)title from cocoon by marty o’reilly and the soul orchestra
Comments: 3
Kudos: 11





	the universe changes its emptiness.

**Author's Note:**

> 3 writers, 2 hours, 1 comic inspiration- and this is the result.
> 
> Happy Halloween!

[SETTING: The exterior of an airplane as it flies over the Atlantic. The sun simmers on the horizon and the sky and water both appear to be almost on fire. The camera zooms in through a rear window of the airplane, out of which the plane’s single passenger watches the ocean. The passenger sits rigidly in his chair, but does not appear to be out of place. There is a brief moment where the camera focuses on the man’s scar, a thin Lichtenberg pattern that climbs up his neck and wraps gently around his jaw. The camera unfocuses entirely and then, as it focuses again, pans out behind the man to show the two empty rows in front of him. Soft, light piano music slowly fades in, but the man and all other aspects of his environment are completely silent. The man looks surprisingly unbothered by this.]

MIKE: _(idly looking over the empty cabin before him)_ Empty as usual. _(He pauses._ _)_ Not sure why I needed to say that, really. Or say anything at all. It’s only the wind that listens, and usually it’s got a lot more to say than I do.

[MIKE CREW falls quiet for a moment before beginning to languidly walk through the center aisle, ghosting his fingertips over the hard plastic of the commercial plane seats.]

MIKE: _(irises shaking slightly in their sockets every time his fingers snag on the top of another seat)_ I should probably keep it to myself, but, y’know. No one’s here, ‘cept for me and Junior. Junior doesn’t mind much. 

[Another pause as he stands beside seat 3A. The window is open and stagnant air flutters.]

MIKE _: (head snapping to the empty space floating around the passenger window)_ In places like this, it doesn’t matter if your thoughts are in your head or out loud. You’re speaking inside of something in any case; may as well have it be metal instead of bone.

THE BABY™️: _(stock still, mouth unmoving)_ You should know that the difference between ribcage and hull are nought to the orbs in my soft infant skull. I came from the womb and I know as have you, the storks and the aircraft on waves of time flew. _(rocking head back and forth)_ Googoo Gaga. 

[THE BABY™️ picks up a bone from the skeleton that lays before their feet. They suckle.]

THE BABY™️: Michael Crew. _(voice pitching up)_ Why y’come herrreee? Googoo Gaga. Why you abandone womb for plane? Whatsat outside the windowpane? Googoo Gaga.

[The camera fades to dark and then pans over the rows of empty seats before focusing once again on MIKE CREW and the row of fire-lit windows behind him. The plane’s interior is slightly redder and darker than before. Despite the impending arrival of all that moves and crawls and slinks through the night, MIKE CREW’s expression is perfectly calm. The music from before has since faded from the scene, and MIKE seems to be at peace in the quiet.]

MIKE: _(gazing out the same window as THE BABY_ _™️_ _suckles)_ I wish we had tea up here, at least. It’d make explaining go a bit easier, I think; gotta ease someone into things. Though… 

[MIKE CREW pauses, glancing at THE BABY™️’s bib. In the extremely tightly woven microfibers there is the small print of a contract.]

MIKE: _(coming closer to read the small print, but not coming too close)_ “Do NOT feed The Baby ™️ tea. If you feed The Baby ™️ tea it cannot be held responsible for its actions.” _(He sighs, disappointed.)_ Should have figured as much. Suppose it’s a little too much to ask not to have to espouse secrets to life on an empty stomach.

[THE BABY™️ starts to cry. It is unknown if they are tears or if the orbs have started melting in the heat of the tea.]

THE BABY™️: _(Baby disclaimer starts to play as they wail. The wails are with their mouth. The disclaimer echoes in a soft ASMR voice through the plane through the Pilot’s speakers.)_ Junior Jr. The Baby™️ is brought to you by: the Fairchild Infant Production Plant. Commissioned by: Simon Fairchild. Commission done: Behind his family’s back. The tea on this flight has been brought to Baby by: Michael Crew. Infant Meltdown: Imminent.

[THE BABY™️ cries many tears. Reaching into THE BABY™️'s mouth, they fish out a bottle. One may think it is a baby bottle. No. It is a bottle that used to contain Simon Fairchild’s cheapest wine. Now it contains the tears of THE BABY™️, as they have began filling it with its tears.]

THE BABY™️: Play tea party! Play tear party! Laugh and cry both good and hearty! Googoo gaga. Michael Crew has given Baby a tea! Baby is freeeeeeee! Googoo gaga.

[THE BABY™️ finally moves their lumbering form. Chubby hands outstretched to repay the kindness of the tea with the tears of the space of existence between life and unlife. THE BABY™️ smiles. They are still crying.]

THE BABY™️: _(brandishing the wine bottle towards MIKE’s general direction.)_ Dada be free too!

[The camera focuses on the wine label, which depicts a baby diving headfirst into the ocean and reads LA VIN-LOCITÉ TERMINALE. It then zooms out to show MIKE and THE BABY™️’s shared smirks upon acknowledging the pun.]


End file.
